Module: Digital & Analogue Electronics I

Latest Module Specifications

Current Academic Year 2025 - 2026

Module Title	Digital & Analogue Electronics I
Module Code	EEN1022 (ITS: EE223)
Faculty	Electronic Engineering	School	Engineering & Computing
NFQ level	8	Credit Rating	5

Description

The purpose of the module is to introduce the fundamental principles of digital and analogue electronics from system and device perspectives. Students will develop the ability to analyse and design basic digital and analogue electronic circuits and small systems. Significant elements of the learning experience will rely on problem based learning. Students are expected to participate actively in lectures, tutorials and laboratory/assignments. A kit of components is used to support this module, which must be borrowed by each student through a library loan arrangement.

Learning Outcomes

1. Explain the characteristics of basic analogue electronic circuit elements, including diodes and transistors.
2. Analyse and design basic analogue electronic circuits and systems.
3. Explain the characteristics of basic digital electronic circuit elements, including gates and flip flops.
4. Explain and solve arithmetic problems using a variety of digital number representations, including unsigned and signed binary, BCD, octal, decimal and hexidecimal.
5. Analyse and design combinatorial and sequential digital electronic circuits and systems, including adders and mixed analogue/digital circuits, through the use of DACs and ADCs with a micro-controller.
6. Build and debug digital and analog electronic circuits and systems using electronics kit, communicating with student peers, demonstrators and technical staff, and documenting experimental outcomes.

*Type*	*Hours*	*Description*
Workload	Full time hours per semester
Online activity	24	Video lectures and interactive online content
Laboratory	12	Four three-hour laboratories
Tutorial	10	Typically once per week
Assignment Completion	6	Arduino individual assignment
Independent Study	73	Study of materials, write-up time and preparation time for laboratories, assignment work and study for class tests
Total Workload: 125

Section Breakdown
CRN	11019	Part of Term	Semester 1
Coursework	0%	Examination Weight	0%
Grade Scale	40PASS	Pass Both Elements	Y
Resit Category	RC3	Best Mark	N
Module Co-ordinator	Derek Molloy	Module Teacher

Type	Description	% of total	Assessment Date
Assessment Breakdown
Laboratory Portfolio	Lab 1 - Logic Gates	10%	Week 3
Laboratory Portfolio	Lab 2 - The Diode and Combinational Logic	10%	Week 5
Laboratory Portfolio	Lab 4 - The counter	10%	Week 7
Laboratory Portfolio	Lab 4 - The Arduino	10%	Week 9
Assignment	Arduino assignment, video presentation/demo and report.	10%	Week 10
Loop Quiz	4 class tests, week 4,6,8,10	50%	n/a

Reassessment Requirement Type
Resit arrangements are explained by the following categories; RC1: A resit is available for both^* components of the module. RC2: No resit is available for a 100% coursework module. RC3: No resit is available for the coursework component where there is a coursework and summative examination element. ^* ‘Both’ is used in the context of the module having a coursework/summative examination split; where the module is 100% coursework, there will also be a resit of the assessment

Pre-requisite	None
Co-requisite	None
Compatibles	None
Incompatibles	None

All module information is indicative and subject to change. For further information,students are advised to refer to the University's Marks and Standards and Programme Specific Regulations at: http://www.dcu.ie/registry/examinations/index.shtml

Indicative Content and Learning Activities

Digital Arithmetic
Alternate number bases: binary, octal, hexadecimal. Base conversion. Binary arithmetic. Signed number representation. Logic circuits for addition and substraction.

Combinatorial Logic
Basic Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT) and corresponding ciruit elements. Boolean algebra. De Morgan's Laws. Further Boolean operators (XOR, NAND, NOR). Minimisation of logic functions using Boolean algebra and using Karnaugh maps, including 3-variable and 4-variable cases.

Diode devices
Semiconductor materials and properties. Forward/reverse bias pn junctions. Diode equation. Reverse breakdown and zener diodes.

Transistor devices
Introduction to Bipolar Junction Transistors (BJT) and Field Effect Transistors (FET): MOSFET, JFET. FET.

Sequential Logic
Sequential logic elements including S-R, D, and J-K latches and flip-flops. Basic applications of flip-flops, including registers and counters.

Analogue & Digital
Introduction to the concepts of digital-to-analogue and analogue-to-digital conversion. This material also introduces the Arduino micro-controller and applies it to the task of A2D and D2A (PWM) conversion. The students perform an investigative laboratory on this topic.

Indicative Reading List

Books:

Dhanasekharan Natarajan: 2020, Fundamentals of Digital Electronics, Dhanasekharan Natarajan, Switzerland,
Neil Storey: 2009, Electronics: A Systems Approach, 4th, Prentice Hall, 824, 0273719181

Articles:
None

Other Resources

1: EE223 Loop page, Dr. Shirley Coyle, 2020, Course notes, videos, interactive quizes,
411874: 1, ebook, Tony R. Kuphaldt, Lessons In Electric Circuits,
http://www.ibiblio.org/kuphaldt/electricCircuits/: 411875, 1, PBL worksheets for electronics, Tony R. Kuphaldt, Socratic Electronics
http://www.ibiblio.org/kuphaldt/socratic/: 411876, 1, eBook, Robert L. Boylestad and Louis Nashelsky, 2013, Electronic Devices and Circuit Theory
Pearson: https://ebookcentral-proquest-com.dcu.idm.oclc.org/lib/dcu/reader.action?docID=5174836&ppg=6, 411877, 1, Online peer learning forum, 0
http://forum.allaboutcircuits.com/: